Here are some statistics about teen drug abuse:
- Teens who start using tabacco are 22 times more likely to use cocaine at some point in their life. (Epstein 16)
- Every 90 seconds a child is born suffering from exposure to cocaine. (McCuen 66)
- Each year about 5,000 people under the age of 21 die an alcohol related death. ( Merino 11)
- In the U.S., a study shows that 75% of 12th graders, 66% of 10th graders, and 40% of 8th graders have consumed alcohol. (Merino 12)
- People who started drinking before the age of 15 were 4 times more likely to become alcohol dependant in their life. (Merino 12)
- In a recent survey, it shows that 67% of young adults over 12 years old have used marijuana in the last month. ( Valkow 1)
- Marijuana increases heart rate by 20-100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug. (Valkow 1)
- In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement, including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status. (Valkow 1)
- 42% of Seniors in high school are currently using Marijuana. (Valkow 1)
- 32% of Sophmores are currently using Marijuana. (Valkow 1)